Tropia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A condition characterized by abnormal alignment of the eyes, leading to misaligned visual axes
2. An ophthalmological term describing a state of strabismus where the visual axes do not converge on the same point
3. A medical concept referring to the deviation of one eye in relation to the other, causing impaired binocular vision

Etymology: Greek "trepein" meant "to turn," and its noun "tropē" meant "a turning." The Greek root survives in English as the ending "-tropia," which describes an eye that has drifted out of line with the other, so that the two no longer point at the same spot. The ending appears in the names of the main types. In "esotropia," the eye turns inward, from Greek "eso," meaning "inward." In "exotropia," it turns outward, from "exo," meaning "outward." The opposite condition, where the eyes line up properly, is "orthotropia," using "ortho," meaning "straight" or "correct."

Synonyms: eye misalignment, strabismus, squint, cross-eyed condition

Antonyms: orthophoria, normal eye alignment